Mehsana dairy to launch instant coffee mix

The Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (MDCUML),Mehsana,popularly known as Dudhsagar Dairy,will come up with its own brand of instant coffee mix. Initially,it would be sold in Meshana district.

The Mehsana District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (MDCUML),Mehsana,popularly known as Dudhsagar Dairy,will come up with its own brand of instant coffee mix. Initially,it would be sold in Meshana district.

Once successful,the mix will be marketed nationwide by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF). MDCUML is a member union of GCMMF,which owns brand Amul.

Mehsana is the only dairy,which produces condensed milk for Amul,and it will be the first dairy also to enter the instant coffee mix category.

Vipul Chaudhry,the chairman of MDCMUL,said,We will be producing the instant coffee mix in-house. The product will be out in the market in April-May. Initially,this will be limited to Mehsana district and later we might approach GCMMF to market it nationally.

Dudhsagar Dairy will spend another Rs 40 crore to double the capacity of its plant in Delhi and NCR. The Mehsana dairy has already invested Rs 60 crore for producing 4.5 lakh litres of milk per day. The capacity would be almost doubled with the dairy planning to increase plant capacity to 8 lakh litre per day.

We will also launch two new curd and icecream products in Delhi NCR, said Chaudhry.

Mehsana is the largest member union of the GCMMF and has been under scanner of the federation for allegedly diverting milk and other products to private players. In 2007,GCMMF had alleged that Mehsana did not adhere to price stipulations decided at programming committee meets and it had also refused to supply milk to Surat during floods. The GCCMF had also alleged that the dairy subverted the co-operative laws and had approached the GCMMF clients for supply of ghee and condensed milk. Chaudhry in the past had denied such allegations.

Chaudhry told Newsline,We would have liked GCMMF to promote condensed milk under Amul. We will approach them for marketing instant coffee mix later. The instant coffee mix has been produced in-house by the research and development team of the MDCMUL.